Speaking notes for the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

To the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Ottawa, ON (virtual event)
Feb. 28, 2022

Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today.

I welcome this opportunity to discuss my mandate letter. The team at Infrastructure Canada is working to deliver results to Canadians.

Delivering results means establishing, maintaining and leveraging collaborative and constructive partnerships. Through partnership, we get things done. Through collaboration, we help improve quality of life. Through investment, we will rebuild a Canada that works for everyone.

This means supporting the major national-building projects that make us more connected than ever. These are transformative projects, such as the revitalization of the Toronto waterfront. These are connections, such as the construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, which is well underway. These are plans for key infrastructure projects, such as the reconstruction of the Bonaventure Expressway.

Transit

We keep Canadians moving in a number of ways, including transit investments that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide health benefits, and better serve disadvantaged groups including women, seniors, youth and those with low income.

Our support toward the purchase of over 17,000 new buses, including 7,469 green reduced-emission buses, has significantly increased the capacity of Canadian municipal public transit systems.

We will work with provinces, territories, municipalities, Aboriginal communities and other stakeholders to develop a permanent public transit fund.

We are implementing several additional measures to build climate resiliency among Canadian communities, all while promoting greener public transit.

Climate Resiliency

Since 2018, our Government has committed almost $3.4 billion through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to help communities remain resilient in the face of natural disasters triggered by climate change. To date, we have announced over $1.9 billion in funding for 69 projects across the country to mitigate threats of natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and drought.

The work of the Climate Resilient Built Environment Initiative and Standards to Support Resilience in Infrastructure Program are helping increase public awareness of the existing tools and resources available to enhance climate resilience of public infrastructure.

The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program will build more community buildings and improve existing ones, making them more energy efficient, reducing carbon emissions, enhancing climate resilience, and increasing accessible and inclusive spaces.

Budget 2021 announced $200 million over three years for the Natural Infrastructure Fund. This fund supports natural and hybrid infrastructure projects in communities across Canada to foster climate change resiliency, enhance the quality of the environment and protect biodiversity.

Legacy Building

Looking ahead, Canada's first National Infrastructure Assessment will provide an evidence-based and expert-driven assessment of Canada's infrastructure needs over the coming decades to tackle climate change, support our quality of life, and enable our economy to flourish. The Assessment will enable better infrastructure planning and help all orders of government as well as the private sector make informed decisions.

Throughout, we are leveraging partnerships both public and private and developing innovative means to get infrastructure built for Canadians.

These include the Canada Infrastructure Bank, whose $10-billion Growth Plan is investing in five key sectors: public transit; clean power; green infrastructure; broadband; and, trade and transportation projects.

We are committed to supporting families and communities to ensure community infrastructure is safe and reliable, while protecting people from the effects of climate change, creating economic opportunities, and improving quality of life – from housing needs to active transportation.

I am proud of the work we are doing for Canadians and to have this opportunity to discuss it with you.

Thank you.